Follow-up to Please Enter Your Password.
City Suspends Controversial Facebook Policy
By Chronicle Staff
The city of Bozeman held a press conference at 3 p.m., Friday to announce that it was suspending a controversial policy of requiring social-networking passwords as part of job applications.
City Manager Chris Kukulski read the press release reprinted below and then took questions.
A full story on the latest developments will be posted later this evening.
The press release is reprinted here in its entirety:
June 19, 2009
For Immediate Release:
The City of Bozeman believes we have a responsibility to ensure candidates hired for positions of public trust are subject to a thorough background check. The extent of our request for a candidate’s password, user name, or other internet information appears to have exceeded that which is acceptable to our community. We appreciate the concern many citizens have expressed regarding this practice and apologize for the negative impact this issue is having on the City of Bozeman.
Effective at 12:00 p.m. today, Friday June 19, 2009, the City of Bozeman permanently ceased the practice of requesting candidates selected for City positions under a provisional job offer to provide user names and passwords for the candidate’s internet sites.
In addition, until further notice, the City will suspend its practice of reviewing candidate’s password protected internet information until the City conducts a more comprehensive evaluation of the practice.
Since the initial media inquiries, the City of Bozeman has been reviewing the practice of requesting user names and passwords to access a candidate’s internet sites. Today’s decision to terminate the use of passwords and usernames in this process reflects the City’s commitment to reconsider this practice. In addition, today’s decision to suspend the practice of inquiring into a candidate’s password protected internet sites demonstrates a continued commitment to ensure the City’s hiring practices comply with state and federal law and protect the safety of Bozeman residents.
Chris A. Kukulski
City Manager
“City Suspends Controversial Facebook Policy.” Bozeman Daily Chronicle. 19 Jun. 2009. <http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2009/06/19/breaking_news/70cityletter.txt>